The U-2 "Dragon Lady" is a surveillance and reconnaissance plane capable of flying above 70,000 feet, twice as high as a typical commercial airliner flies, but is known as one of the most difficult aircraft to fly at low altitudes due to the characteristics that allow it to travel near space, according to an Air Force fact sheet.

Beale Air Force Base is home to the Air Force's fleet of single-seat U-2s and a double-seat variant used for training pilots to fly the specialized aircraft.